Railroad-tie and means for securing rails to the same



(No Model.)

J. M. FELLOWS. RAILROAD TIE AND MEANS FOR SBGURING RAILS TO THE SAME.

No. 433,778. Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

IN VENTOH ALL/f 737i- A TTORNEXS UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JOHN M. FELLOWS, OF BURLINGTON, INDIANA.

RAILROAD-TIE AND MEANS FOR SECURING RAILS TO THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,778, dated August 5, 1890. Application filed February 1, 1890. Serial No. 338,894. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. FELLOWS, of Burlington, in the county of Carroll and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Railroad lie and Means for Securing Rails to the Same, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in cross-ties for rail-supports and in means of attaching the rails to the ties; and the object of my invention is to provide a strong and durable tie and to provide a simple and positive means for securing the rails to the same.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, that will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawin gs,formin g a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the tie with rails attached to one end thereof; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig.2, with a portion of the rails broken away to show the dowel in the ends thereof; Fig. at is a side elevation of one of the chairs; and Fig. 5, a bottom view of one end of the tie, showing the strengthening-ribs thereon.

The tie A, which may be constructed of wood or metal, but is made, preferably, of metal, consists of Y two similar end portions having inwardly-extendin g shanks'A, which are united near the center of the track by the elliptical springs B, which are formed between the plates B, which fit between the upper and lower flanges a b of the shanks A, and which are firmly bolted thereto. The springs B will thus unite the ends of the tie, and will permit the same to bend or yield without breaking. The plates 13 are attached to the shanks A by a peculiar bolt D, which is used in attaching various parts of my invention, and which will be described hereinafter.

The tie is provided with widened or forked ends A having flanges a upon the upper portion, upon which the chairs E may rest, said flanges extending over the terminal ends of the ties to strengthen the same, and has the forked portions connected at the bottom by a web F, which is provided with strengthening-ribs b. The flanges a are provided with holes, as shown, by means of which the chairs E are bolted and pinned thereto, and the forked ends A are provided with a triangularbrace b, which extends from the web or bottom F to the junction of theforks.

The chairs E should be long enough to extend well across the forked ends A of the tie and rest upon the flanges a thereof. They are provided with a flat bottom portion, that they may rest firmly upon the flanges a, with suitable holes through which bolts may pass to bolt them to the flanges, with depending pins-e to fit in corresponding holes in the flanges a to assist in holding the chairs firmly thereon, with transverse st rengtheningribsf upon the upper side thereof, with depending flanges g to receive a nut and .pre-' vent the same from turning, and with an inner longitudinal recess E, which fits the flange of the rails H and in which the rails rest.

The rails H are of the usual shape and their abutting ends are provided with a longitudinal recess 71, in which fits a dowel-pin i, so that the ends of the rails will always be in line. 111 the rear of the dowel-pin t, and within the recess h of one of the rails, is a spiral spring j, which presses against the end of the dowel-pin, and which will permit the rails to contract or expand under the influence of cold or heat. The dowel-pin 2' is provided with a removable arm 2", which extends laterally through the slot is to the outside of the rail, and by means of which the dowel-pin may be drawn back into the rail when a joint is to be made. The slot It should be wide enough to allow the arm e" to move longitudinally with the dowel-pin 2'.

The bolts D are of ordinary construction,

except that they are provided with a ratchetwheel Djust below the head. The nut with which a bolt Dis provided is secured in a socket upon the side of a part to which the bolt is applied, as in Fig. 2, right-hand end, and the bolt is then screwed into the nut by means of a wrench, and is held in position by a pawl m, which is attached to the part to which the bolt is applied adjacent to the bolt, and which engages the teeth of the ratchetwheel D and prevents the wheel and the bolt to which it is attached from turning.

To apply my invention the tiesAare placed across the road-bed in the usual manner, the chairs E are placed upon the forked ends A of the tie, and the flanges of the rails 1-1 are inserted in the recesses E of the chairs, the chairs clamping the rails upon each side thereof. The pins 6 of the chairs E will fit in the holes of the flanges a and the chairs are also bolted to the flanges ct by bolts D,which pass through the outer edges of the chairs and through the flanges a. The chairs will thus be held firmly upon the tie and the rails will be held firmly in the recess E of the chairs; but the rails are also bolted to the chairs E at the ends of the rails by bolts D, which pass through the chairs and between the ends of the rails. To apply these bolts a nut is placed between the depending flanges gof the chairs, which form a socket upon the under side thereof, and by means of a wrench the boltD is screwed into the nut. The nut will thusbe prevented from turning and the ratchet Dof the bolt will be engaged by the pawl m upon the upper part of the chair, which will prevent the bolt from turning, so that the parts will be held firmly together and cannot work loose. The dowel-pin twill also prevent any lateral motion of the rails, and it will be impossible for the rails to get displaced by ordinary usage.

' Having thus described myinvention,l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A railroad-tie consisting, essentially, of two separable ends connected by suitable springs, said ends being forked, as shown, provided at the top with flanges upon which the rail-chairs may rest, and having their lower edges connected by a web, substantially as described.

2. The combination,with a railroad-tiehaving forked separable ends united by springs, of a chair adapted to extend across and rest upon said forked ends, said chair having an inner recess to lit the flange of the rail, and having means, as shown, for attaching it to the tie, substantially as described.

3. A railroad-tie consisting, essentially, of two separable ends A, having inwardly-projecting shanks A, said shanks having means, as springs B, plates B, and bolts D, for conneeting them together, and the forked ends having perforated flanges a, to which the chairs may be attached, and having their lower edges connected by a web F, substantially as described.

4. The combination,with the tieAand rails H, of the chairs E, adapted, as shown, to clamp upon the rails, having means, as bolts D and pins e, for attaching them to the ties, and means, as bolts D and flanges g, for attaching them to the rails, substantially as described.

5. The co1nbination,with the chairs E,having the depending flanges or sockets g, and the rails H, of the bolt D, adapted to pass through the chair and rails, having a suitable nut to fit between the flanges a ratchetwheel D, affixed thereto, and means, as pawls m, for holding said ratchet-wheel and bolt from turning, substantially as described.

JOHN M. FELLOWS.

Witnesses:

S. H. SEARWIGHT, JOHN APPENZELLAR. 

